


A Goddess is Born

by My_Marvel_Musings



Series: If You Could Live Forever [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Gen, PTSD, Trigger Warnings, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-11 23:31:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15982820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Marvel_Musings/pseuds/My_Marvel_Musings
Summary: Reader is now the head of Xavier’s school. But her past keeps haunting her dreams. Everett, Thor, and Loki do what they can to help her remember her past so she can move on.This is a sequel to Bringing Worlds Together. This will delve more into Reader's past and how she was betrayed by her family. So much angst and trigger warnings! Seriously, this won't be a happy story. But it will have a happy ending!I don't expect this one to be for everyone. This was mostly to help me set the ground work for the next two installments.Timeline: takes place 5 years after Bringing Worlds Together ends.





	1. Sleepless Nights

I laid there in my bed, sleep eluding me as it always did when Everett was out of town for work. He left for DC yesterday on a good will mission for the school and wasn't scheduled to be back for three more days. While I was glad he finally fit into the school and the world of mutants, I hated how his new job took him away from me once or twice a month for days at a time. I still had those nightmares that started after Logan and I had broken up and they still persisted any time I was unable to sleep next to Everett. Hell, they sometimes even showed up when he was here. He had expressed his concern to Charles, but all Charles would say was that I could fix the problem when I was ready. AKA: no psychic barriers, just plain old therapy. I had nothing against therapy; in fact I made Logan continue his sessions with the Professor after he 'retired' from being headmaster of the school. But I had such a dark past that I felt it was better if I never remembered it at all. Clearly my brain had other ideas.

Giving up on the idea of any form of sleep, I got up and dressed before heading down the hill to the mansion. I crept in through the door by the kitchen and silently walked the halls to Charles' office, which was now technically mine. Surprisingly, I wasn't alone: Charles was in the office reading one of his many books.

"Good evening, Charles. What brings you here at this ungodly hour?" I walked over and sat on the couch that was along one wall as Charles had placed himself behind mine/his desk.

"Good evening, _____. I figured you would be coming in here tonight. You do quite a bit of late night wandering when Everett is gone." He closed his book to look at me. “He’s quite worried about you. He feels this has been going on for far too long.”

I ran my hands over my face, knowing Charles was right. Everett and I had been officially together for 5 years since the whole experiment at the Avengers’ Compound. I had hoped that with the uncertainty removed, my past would let me live. It could never be that easy. And no matter how hard I had tried to hide it, Everett could see I still deeply suffered from my past.

”I know, I know. I honestly don’t know how or why he puts up with this nonsense.”

”Love works in mysterious ways.” He laughed as I frowned over the cheesiness of that statement. I knew Everett loved me, but for the life of the entire planet I still couldn’t see as to why. I was a hot mess with weird powers. “Why don’t you lie down on the couch and we’ll start at the beginning.”

”Man, if that isn’t the most cliched way to start a therapy session....” Charles laughed at me again. “I don’t think I’m ready for this.”

”You are. Our minds will hide away anything too painful for us to recall until it feels we are ready to remember. These dreams are a way for your brain to tell you that you are finally ready.”

”Hooray.”

”Just lie back and let the memories come naturally. We’ll get through this together.”

Closing my eyes, I let my past finally float to the surface.


	2. Wicked Witches of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader relives her childhood right before her powers develop and witness the beginning of the European Witch Trials.

“Clare, that is my doll!” I chased my little sister out of our cabin and down the pathway to the village. She screamed with delight, her long dress trailing behind her as she sprinted away from me.

”It is mine, Cristyne! This is one father bought for me!” No matter how hard I ran, she remained out of my grasp. 

We ran down the road that passed through the village, dodging villagers all the while. Before she could clear the last building, Clare tripped over a rock in the path and went flying forward. I quickly dropped to her side.

”Dear sister, are you hurt badly?” I reached over to help her sit up so I could see if there were any cuts or scrapes.

“I don’t believe so.” I helped Clare to her feet and brushed the dirt from her once clean dress. “Mother will be so mad when she sees the mess I have made.”

”It will be ok. We will just tell mother it was my fault.”

“Did I just hear that you two young ladies were planning on lying? On a Sunday?” 

My eyes grew wide and whipped around to face the owner of the voice. "No, Father Nikolas. I just did not want my little sister to get in trouble for tripping over a rock. It was not her fault."

A pair of stern brown eyes stared down at myself and my sister, the mostly wrinkled face pulled down in a frown. Though to be fair, I don't believe I had ever seen Father Nikolas not have a frown on his face. For a man who was supposed to be praising Heaven, he always looked like he could see into Hell and his long black robes always reminded me more of a bat that a man of God. But he was one of the village elders, one of the most respected man here and was to be feared for the sake of a person's soul.

He reached down and grabbed both our arms roughly. "I believe there is more than you are confessing! God sees all and now so will your parents."

We were dragged roughly though the village until Father Nikolas was at our cabin door. He bang loudly until my mother finally pulled it open. "Father Nikolas, what a pleasant surprise. But why do you have my two girls so roughly in your hands?"

"Your two girls were making quite the ruckus in the village! Fighting over a doll, running like the Devil himself was chasing them, planning on lying to you and Herr Stellhorn!" He shook us both roughly at this, the doll falling from Clare's hands. Neither of us could look our mother in the eye as he spoke of all we had done that morning.

Our mother took a deep breath, "thank you, Father Nikolas. I will speak with the girls now about their behavior."

"It's more than just their behavior! Father Johannes from Trier has come to our village to speak of troubling times a head of us. More witches have been found in his town and trials are to be held for the accused! We must make sure your daughters stay in God's light so they do not meet that end!" This caught Clare's and mine attention and we looked up at our mother's face.

She put a delicate hand to her face. "More witches found?! Oh my! Thank you, Father Nikolas. My husband and I will have a stern conversation with the girls tonight before supper. But I assure you that neither of my girls will ever fall to the darkness."

"Let us hope not!" With that, he released his hold on us and Clare and I tumbled to the floor, quickly standing up before we could be reprimanded for being on the dirty ground. He turned quickly and marched away from our humble home.

"Clare, Crystine, go inside and wash up. We will speak once your father is home. This is very serious and you will not be leaving the house again until we know you will be safe."

We nodded and rushed off to our shared room, Clare needing my help to change out of her dirty dress. Then we sat quietly on our bed, the doll long since forgotten. My sister spoke up first.

"Do you think there could be witches in our village?" Her voice had a tiny tremble to it and her eyes were wide with fear. She was only two years younger than me, but at times I felt like I was also her mother, protecting her from the monsters in our stories. Monsters that were now coming to real life.

I was quiet for a long time before I answered. "No, I do not believe so. No witch would be so foolish, just look how scary Father Nikolas is! He could fight the Devil himself with just his looks!"

This got a giggle out of my dear sister. There was a gentle knock and then our father called through the door. "Girls, we need you to come out here so we can talk about your behavior."

"Yes, father." We both chimed. Leaving our room, we followed our father into the next room and sat at his and Mother's feet. The fireplace crackled behind us and I could smell mother's delicious cooking at the table. I wished we could go straight to supper and not receive our punishment for running through the village earlier.

Our parents sat as close as they could in their two chairs, holding hands between them. Father decided to speak first. "Girls, your mother told me of Father Nikolas bringing you home. While we are disappointed in the manner you were brought home, we will not punish you. You two were just playing a silly game and I'm afraid Father Nikolas has very little patience for games, more now than before. More and more witches are being discovered and the church is under a great deal of stress to get to the root of the problem. From now on the two of you will stay close to home. We do not want you to disappear into the woods and be captured by a witch or be mistaken for one."

We both nodded our head solemnly, "we promise, father."

"Good. Now let us eat the meal your mother has prepared for us then put you girls to bed. It has been a long day and we will need to be up early tomorrow."

"Why, father?"

"A witch has been caught outside of the village and there will be a trial for her tomorrow. Everyone is expected to be there so that we may know what will befall anyone who sides with the dark lord."

I could feel my eyes grow wide at this new information. We had never seen a witch before. Would she look like the ones in our stories? Would she be in all black with a pointed hat? I was nervous, frightened, but mostly excited. 

The next morning we walked to the village together, Clare holding mother's hand while I held father's. We soon reached the church where every person of the village was already gathered. In the middle of the crowd was a large wooden post and a woman tied to it. She must have been the witch, but she was not what I had expected. Her eyes were blue, her hair dirty blonde, no warts, no scars, simple clothes that had been torn when she was captured, and worse of all she was my age! I recognized her as the girl who lived at a farm not far from the village. She was no witch, just a scared girl no older than 12! I tried to pull away so I could reach my friend, but father pulled me back roughly.

"Stay still, Crystine! You must'n get too close to the witch!"

"But father, she is no witch! She is my friend from the farm!"

His eyes widen at that and immediately looked around to see if anyone heard me. "Do not speak of her again! If the elders believe her to be guilty, so be it!"

My protests died in my throat as Father Nikolas began to speak. "People of God, we are gathered here to sentence the woman before us! She has been found guilty of witch craft and as punishment will be burned at the stake before your eyes! If she is as innocent as she claims, she will be welcomed into God's awaiting arms. If not, she will meet with her dark husband."

Before I knew what was happening, another village elder handed Father Nikolas a burning torch. He touched the flame to the base of the pyre and handed it back to the other man. Soon the flames grew and my ears will filled with the girl's screaming. I tried to look away, but father held my face.

"No, you must look! You need to see what can happen to the guilty!"

As tears streaked down my face, I felt a tingle down in my stomach. There was a crack of energy behind my eyes, and suddenly the skies opened up to a downpour on the village center. People shrieked and ran for cover, my own mother and father gathering myself and Clare in their arms as they ran back to their cabin. Inside, they began to help us peel our wet clothes off.

"That was so strange, Georg. Do you believe she called the rains to put out the fires at her feet?" Our mother had dressed us in our evening clothes and placed us in our bed. Father looked back at us before ushering mother out to speak in the other room. Once the door was closed, I ran over to try to listen with Clare.

"I believe so, my dear. She truly was a witch and will now be punished accordingly. May God have mercy on her soul."

Turning away from the door, I gently pulled Clare back into bed. It would do no good to listen any more and it would only frighten my sister. We curled up on our sides, huddled together for warmth as we watched the storm rage outside. It was so odd it had occurred at the exact time as my friend dying. No. The exact time I started crying. The thought sent shivers through me and I cuddled closer to Clare.


	3. Are You a Good Witch or a Bad One?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader's mutation becomes more apparent to her as the village undergoes a purging of witches.

A fortnight had passed since my friend was accused of being a witch and Clare and I were no longer allowed to leave the cabin to play unless mother or father were able to watch us. More people were being discovered to have consorted with the Devil in order to gain the powers of a witch. Slowly, members of our village began to disappear as they were tortured here or taken to Trier. It all seemed like madness; was our whole village corrupted? Would there be no one left but the members of the church when we were done? People I never had a mean thought towards were suddenly gone, accused of being the devil's minion. The baker, the blacksmith, the mother of the twin boys next door. All gone one way or another. After the rainstorm the day my friend was burned alive, the elders no longer held public executions as the villages feared returning to witness a trial.

Clare cried every night since the public trial. She told me she would see my friend burn every night in her dreams. Little girls should dream of their kitten or a new doll, not of seeing another girl almost their age die before their very eyes. I mostly kept to myself, only speaking when asked a question, unless it was to calm Clare. The sudden rain when I had began to cry that day still haunted me more than my own friend's death. Did I make the rain appear? Was I a witch also? I could not recall speaking to the Devil or even trying to summon him, but the church would not care. If I had indeed caused the rains, instead of being celebrated for being able to end any drought that could befall our tiny village, I would be marked as a witch and executed in a gruesome manner. They do not see this in terms of good witch or bad: a witch was a witch regardless of how they used their powers.

But as time went on, it became more and more apparent to myself that I may be a witch of some kind. One night as we sat outside to look at the stars, I heard mother say how the air was too still. She missed the sound of the winds through the trees. I looked to the trees and the same feeling as the day my friend died began inside of me. Before I knew what had happened, a gentle breeze could be felt all around us. Our small section of crops were not producing enough food. After wandering around our crops for an hour, they began to double their amount.

The amount of what it seemed that I could do worried and excited me. I began to sneak out of the cabin well after everyone was asleep and went into the woods to see what I could control. My powers grew each time and while I was excited, I had a hard time keeping everything hidden from my family and the village.

But one night, in my hurry to leave for the woods, I didn’t make sure everyone was asleep. As I sat on a rock, I called a tiny breeeze to spin some leaves around my body. My laughter was drowned out by my mother’s high pitch scream. The wind stopped as I looked over to see my mother’s frighten face and my sister peeking around my father’s form. I could feel the color leave my face as the reality of the sitation sunk in.

”The devil has been here tonight!” My father cried out.

”No, father! The devil is not here!” He refused to listen to my cries as he grabbed my arm and began to pull me to the church.

~~~~~~~~~~

Present Day

”_______, please come back. You need to finish talking about what happened to you.”

I was trying to race out of the school and away from my past. “No, Charles. I know what happens next. I won’t relive it!”

Bursting out of the back doors, I sprinted for my cabin. Once inside, I slammed the door behind me. I had been trying for the last three days to go through my past, to move beyond the trauma. I had learned my name, my sister’s name, and that I had lived in Germany in a small village by Trier. And watching my friend burn alive is what triggered my mutation.

Shaking all over, I slowly walked over to the couch not realizing I wasn’t alone. I jumped off the couch and fire shot from my hands (amazingly into the fireplace) when a hand landed on my shoulder. Spinning around, I looked into Everett’s stunned eyes.

”_____, it’s me! It’s ok!” He slowly moved over to me, his hands reaching out.

Tears of relief poured down my face as it sunk in that Everett was back from his trip. I threw myself into his arms, feeling safe. “Oh, Ev! I’m so glad you’re home! Charles and I have been trying to uncover my past and it’s been too much!”

He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing my back. “Shhhh, it’s ok. It’s ok. We knew it would be tough, but you can’t keep having these nightmares. Have you slept at all since I’ve been gone?”

I shook my head, afraid to say the words. He let out a sigh and pulled me back onto the couch. I curled up on his lap, the memories from the day rising again. “Everett, I....I don’t know if I can finish this. It’s so raw, reliving all of it all over again.”

”Have you learned anything yet?” He continued to rub my back.

”I was born in Germany, my sister was younger, and my name was Crystine.”

”Crystine? Hmmm. Well sorry, but I think I like _____ more.” He pressed a kiss to my head.

I let out a small laugh. “Well don’t worry. I don’t plan to change it back. But today....” I closed my eyes against the memeory. “Today I saw the look on my parents’ faces when they found out I was a mutant. The fear in their eyes.”

Holding me tight, Everett came to a decision. “We need help. Charles is good at what he does, but we need someone else. Someone who was there.”


	4. Gods and Goddess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everett calls some of Reader's older friends to help with the trauma of her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this isn't the typical fan fic, but I wanted to try something new. And I promise there will be a happy ending in the last chapter!
> 
> This is a shorter chapter, but I wanted to find a way to segue into explaining how Reader became immortal.

"Do you really think this will help?" I trudged up the mountain side, calling up to the tall blonde in front of me. Behind me, two other people brought up the rear. 

"Of course, Lady _____! You have a lot of pent up stress and you have not been exercising your powers! With this release of energy, you will be better to face your demons." Thor's voice boomed all round the mountain side. 

Everett's grand plan was to contact Thor and Loki, the two who had saved me from the day I was tortured within an inch of my life. It had taken quite a bit of effort: he personally went to the Avengers' Compound to see if either god was there, and when they weren't, chartered a flight to Norway for us, but only after finding out how hard it was to contact Thor since the god did not have a cell phone. A week after I confessed my issues to Everett, we were now knee deep in Norway's beautiful landscape with the two gods. He even took time off of his job to make sure he could be here with me. It still baffled me how much Everett was willing to do for me, for us. Old insecurities run deep, but I would never take him for granted.

"I believe we are almost there, brother." Loki called from behind me.

As if saying the magic words, Thor stopped to look back at us. He held out his hand for me and guided me past a formation of rocks to see a beautifully grass covered cliff over looking the ocean. Before we had made our trek, Thor told me we were going to the place where Odin had passed. Now seeing it in person, I could see why he chose such a place. If I had to have a last look, this would be perfect. I let go of Thor's hand and began to walk towards the cliff, ever sense heightened. The chill of the breeze and the sound of the waves below gave me a new sense of energy. I felt more connected to the land then I had in days.

”This is a sacred place, _____. Our father was not the only one to have stepped foot here. You will be able to channel all of your powers to your fullest extent and not be interrupted.” Thor slowly backed away from me to stand next to Loki and Everett, who (of course) was wearing my suit. It was meant to channel my powers so it would keep him safe in the off chance I lost control.

Walking back to Everett, I embraced him in a consuming hug, our cheeks pressed together. He pulled me in for a long, closed lip kiss before pulling back to look at me. “Do what you need to today. I will be right here for you, my wood nymph.”

I laughed at the nickname he had given me our first year together and kissed him once more before walking back to the cliff.

Closing my eyes, I let the power of the elements flow through me freely. My hair melted from one color to the next as the ocean below grew restless and the winds began to blow. Fire surrounded my fingertips as the earth trembled beneath our feet. Behind me I heard Everett yelp in surprised when a lightning bolt hit the ground 10 feet from them. As more memories began to flood my mind, the weather picked up. The ocean sent waves to meet us at the cliff top and the winds picked up speed. As fire began to engulf me, my hair and eyes went from switching to every color in rapid sessions to melding together and turning black as night.

I let out a scream of agony as I remember being ripped apart as my family looked on. Bolts of lightning came faster and closer to me as I relived my anger towards those who had betrayed me. Turning to face the others, the earth shook harder and I saw Thor grab the back of Loki and Everett in case he had to suddenly lift them to safety. I could see both fear and astonishment in Everett’s eyes as he had never truly seen my powers before. Not to this extent.

Rain began to pummel the cliffside as I made lightning strike the top of the cliff, causing part of it to break off into the ocean. As the memory of the excruciating pain of having my organs ripped out sliced threw me, a bolt of lightning struck me directly and put an end to my tempertantrum. I fell backwards onto the soft, wet grass and barely made out Everett running towards me with Thor and Loki. He went to grab my hand, but Loki pulled him back.

”You cannot touch her yet. She has experienced a great deal of pain and will need the earth to heal her like it had done so the night we saved her. We will stand guard over her until the earth is done.”

I never heard Everett’s reply to this as I was being pulled into the soft ground. The last thing I saw was Everett’s worried face before the ground swallowed me.


	5. Oblivion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And when the nights are long  
> All those stars recall, your goodbye, your goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that goes into Reader's torture! While it won't be graphic, you have been warned! I will try to get the next one up as soon as possible so people have the option to skip this one.

I slowly pulled myself out from the ground, rising to my knees to brush the dirt from my body. Everett rushed over to help, handing me a bottle of water. Thor and Loki walked over from where they had set up camp that was barely visible behind the rock formation. Every muscle in my body ached, but in a manner that reminded me of when I finished a good training session. After consuming two bottles of water, I slowly rose to my feet and began to walk to the camp with Everett's help. The boys had set up three tents surrounding a fire pit that currently had a small deer roasting over it. The smell was amazing and I realized it must have been a while since I last ate.

"How long was I under?" I carefully sat on a rock close to the fire pit, coaxing more warmth out of the fire without making the flames rise.

Everett sat as close to me as possible. "About 3 days. I was really panicking, but Loki said that this was normal."

Three days, my shortest time under yet. But not really surprising considering all that was wrong was mostly mental anguish. There wasn't a huge gash along my midsection that also needed to be repaired. Thor handed me a large plate of all sorts of food they had brought and I devoured it in mere moments, reaching immediately for more. While the earth kept me alive while I healed, it wasn't the same as eating actual food. I was always so famished after a healing bout. 

After my third plate of food and 4 more bottles of water, Thor handed me an actual horn filled with Asgardian ale. He knew that was exactly what I would need if I was going to talk about what I had seen on the cliff. I downed half of the horn before taking a deep breath to start.

"Thank you, everyone. Everett for bringing me to Loki and Thor, and Loki and Thor for bringing me here. You were right, this was exactly what I needed. It was like a mental block in a way. I haven't truly used my powers in that manner for at least 50 years, if not more." I closed my eyes and Everett grabbed my handing, giving it a little squeeze. Smiling at him, I continued. "To answer the unspoken question: yes Everett, Loki was correct. Although sometimes I am under longer. But the longest time will always be the first time as I can no longer be injured to that level again. Unless, maybe by a god."

Thor and Loki chuckled at this as they cleaned up from the meal. It was really odd to see Loki so helpful, especially regarding Midgardians. But what was happening to me must really affect him as well. I knew he still harbored love for me on some level, so no doubt my issues troubled him. They soon settled down across the fire from us so I could begin my story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Village by Trier - 1581**

I was dragged to the church by my arm, my father not even slowing down when my feet slipped beneath me. My mother and sister followed behind, their crying filling the air. Soon, other villagers began to poke their heads outside their door to see what the commotion could be all about. As we reached the church's steps, the noise of the waken village had filled the air. Father Nikolas opened the door before my father had a chance to knock.

"What is the meaning of this late night visit, Herr Stellhorn?" Father Nikolas barked.

"Forgive us, Father. But this is an urgent matter. Our daughter has been corrupted by the devil!" The village behind my father began to gasp and murmur. As many people that had been brought to 'trial' so far, no one had accused a family member yet. Let alone their own child.

Father Nikolas peered down at me, his ever present scowl on his face. "I believe I remember your wife saying that your children would never fall to the darkness. What has changed in your family?"

"Our daughter has been acting odd since the day the farmer's daughter was burned at the stake. She has become more reserved, quieter and more protective of her sister. Crystine was behaving as she should, but would not engage with anyone outside the family and barely with us as well. At first we thought she was frightened by the thought of a witch being as young as her and that she may be corrupted if she made any friends. But tonight we witnessed he calling forth the winds for her amusement!" A woman screamed in the crowd, a bit of an overreaction in my mind over something as simple as the wind blowing. But I would not make a single remark as I knew anything I said would be immediately turned against me.

"This is indeed troublesome, Herr Stellhorn. And your other daughter?" His eyes bore into Clare's face, but she only showed fear towards me.

"She was the one who brought this to our attention. Clare said last night she saw Crystine make a flower grow faster and higher than what was possible. She brought us to see what Crystine was doing tonight as to make sure her eyes had not been playing tricks on her since it had happen so late at night." My eyes grew wide at the knowledge that it was my own sister, the one I spent every day trying to protect, that had brought me to my own death bed.

"You are a very brave young girl, Clare. You have brought a witch to await justice!"

"I'm not a witch!" I shouted in Father Nikolas' face. His eyes instantly snapped back to my face. "I have never once seen the devil and I have made no promises to him! I don't know what is happening to me, but I am not a witch!"

He reached over and slapped me across the face. "Enough! Your lies are being heard by God and he will judge you were you stand!"

My father held me in place when I struggled to run away. Father Nikolas grabbed my face so I was forced to look at him.

"You will be judged here tonight. And when you confess your sins, only then will you be released." He grabbed my arm and dragged me inside, my family following close behind.

~~~~~~~

**Present Day**

The boys were very quiet as they took in the information I had just presented them. Thor Spoke up first. "Sweet ______, I cannot believe it was your own sister that betrayed you! How could a sibling do such a thing?"

I raised an eyebrow at him and then looked pointedly at Loki, who at least had the decency to look guilty for once. "Thor, if anyone would know how I would feel in regards to family betrayal, I figured it would have to be you. You could probably write a book on the subject, right snake boy?"

Loki laughed at the memory of turning into a snake to fool his brother as the realization hit Thor. "Ah yes, I suppose I do have some experience in the matter."

"Though I suppose the first time Loki betrayed you is exactly how I felt when Clare betrayed me. I always thought I was so careful to hide who I was, though to be honest I don't know what would have become of me if I had managed to repress my powers. Certainly I would not be here, unless I had been discovered at a later date." I had finished off the ale Thor had given me and was deciding whether or not to have more. Asgardian alcohol was one of the few things available to me to actually alter my state of mind. As much as I wanted to drink away the pain for just one night, I knew I had to finish my story. Putting down the horn, I took a deep breath and continued.

~~~~~~

**1581**

_Breathe in the light_

_I'll stay here in the shadows_

Father Nikolas dragged me to a back room of the church where a long wooden table awaited by the moonlit window. He and my father picked me up and struggled to strap me down as I used every ounce of me to fight them off. Father Nikolas struck me again and my vision blurred for a moment. As it cleared, I could hear the men speaking.

"We do not have time to call Father Johannes down from Trier, we will have to do this ourselves. I will require your full support, Herr Stellhorn." I heard Father Nikolas pick up various tools as he spoke to my father.

"Of course, Father. Whatever you will need."

"Good. We need to get a confession out of this young lady. Please make sure she stays very still. This will not be an easy mission."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him hold up a very long, sharp knife. I began to struggle again and my father reached down to hold both of my shoulders. Ripping my eyes away from Father Nikolas, I focused on the view outside the window. I could hear my mother and sister quietly pray for my soul, Clare muttering a quiet goodbye in my direction.

_And when the nights are long_

_All those stars recall, your goodbye, your goodbye_

I did everything I could not to feel anything that night, but I felt every agonizing moment, every rip, heard every tear. My mouth opened up to release a scream that could be heard in Hell itself. Clare tried to cover her ears over the sound, to keep from hearing it later in her sleep. 

_And in the night, you'll hear me calling_

_You'll hear me calling_

I looked over to my sister, my eyes filled with tears at her betrayal, at my pain. We were falling away from each other; I was no longer her protector. I was the demon of her dreams.

_And in your dreams, you'll see me falling, falling_

_Breathe in the light, and say goodbye_

My eyes could no longer stay open, my voice now hoarse from all the screaming I had done. Half of my body felt like it had been pulled out from my stomach. Through all the pain, all the screaming, all the crying, and all the praying, Father's Nikolas' voice reigned over all of it demanding that I confess to my sins so I could be saved. All my life I had loved God, and now one of his followers was slowly killing me all because I couldn't explain why I could make a plant grow or the wind blow.

As I felt my life slip away, a sudden crash jolted my eyes open for a brief moment. My vision was blurry so all I could see was to tall figures behind what I assumed was my father and Father Nikolas. The blonde figure pushed aside Father Nikolas while the black haired one raced to my side and began to undo my fastens. Out of panic and pain, I began to fight again.

"Easy, little one. We will not harm you. We heard your screams and have come to set you free." He cradled me close to his chest and easily jumped through the hole in the ceiling the figures had made when they entered the room.

On the ground, the blonde figured soon joined us. "I did not hurt them, little one. But only because you are badly injured and we must focus on you first."

They began to run with me deep into the woods, talking to me in order to keep my eyes open long enough to reach a person named Frigga. 

~~~~~~~~

**Present Day**

"I was 2 months shy of my 13th birthday when I was tried for being a witch. I was very fortunately that Loki and Thor happened to be in Germany and could hear me screaming. Shortly after we entered the woods, Odin found us and demanded that they leave me where I was. They argued, though all of it I do not remember only what Thor and Loki told me when I ran into them years later. As they left, I tried to follow after them but I was still ripped open. I soon collapsed at the base of a large, old tree due to the amount of blood I lost. Grabbing hold of one of the roots that stuck out, I feebly reached out with my powers, hoping for some sort of an answer. And I received one. The earth began to pull me under like you saw the other day. I can't explain how it healed me then because I don't even know how it heals me now. And for each wound it's different. Smaller ones I can usually sit amongst water whether it be a stream or lake or even a tub full of water. When the earth pulled me in, I do know that was when I bonded with the land. Not only did I gain the ability to heal, I could communicate with animals, my senses were heightened, along with my flexibility and agility. I became an agent for the earth, allowed to stay as long as I returned the favor to protect it."

The group around me grew quiet as I ended my story, no one knowing what to say first. Everett had silent tears running down his face. I reached up to brush them away and he grabbed my hand to kiss it. 

"What happened to the village?"

"It's been abandoned. And I would be lying if I said I didn't have something to do with it." I looked down at my lap. "As far as Steve knows, I never went back for revenge. It's what helped him trust me. But it was a lie, well at least one I wasn't aware of speaking at the time."

"What did you do to them?"

I sighed and looked at Thor. "I think it would be best if I showed you, don't you think Thor?"

"Yes, Lady ______. That would be best."

"Where's the nearest airport? I can see how quickly I can get tickets." I gave Everett a mysterious smile. "What?"

"Well, we'll be flying alright. But not in the traditional sense. Come night fall, you better put that suit back on."


	6. Village of the Damned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader takes Everett to the village where she was raised and reveals how her family died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter until the fluffy ending! Sorry for all the angst, but I felt it fit the best for Reader's background that I hinted at in Bringing Worlds Together.

We arrived in Germany before day break. Thor had carried Loki (much to his chagrin) and I had carried Everett. I couldn't fly in the same sense as Thor, but I could use the winds to carry me wherever I needed to be. Since my suit was designed to enhance that experience, I had Everett continue to wear it so there wouldn't be as much strain as we flew...glided....whatever.

In Germany, we rented a car and proceeded to drive along the country side until we reached Trier. The city had grown into a beautiful location and it broke my heart that I was here under unfortunate circumstances. We found a place to park the car and began to hike along the country side. Most of the forest of the past was cleared away and the red sandstone of the hills could be seen. Well past the edge of the town we came across a large cluster of trees. We trudged past them and continued on, unsure how far we would have to travel. 

After a couple of hours of walking, I could see the edge of my village. The church stood tall as always, but it was clear it had not been occupied in many centuries. As we walked along the village, we could see more signs of abandonment of what was still left after those many centuries: rusted axes from turned over wagons, the empty well near the center of the village, the worn pathways that led to every building at one point in time. Past all of these relics, past the church where I almost died, past decaying homes that had been build with stone instead of wood, to the other end of the village where my cabin had once stood. In it's place was a plot of land that had scorch marks around the edges.

I stopped a few feet before the land. "Ten years after I almost died, I came back here. No one could recognize me then. When the earth took me in, I was drained of any color of my hair and eyes to make way for them to change color every time I used my mutation. I walked along the village pathways, a shawl over my head. When I reached the place of my birth, I could see my family inside laughing. As if I had never existed. I inquired with a neighbor about what had happened with the trials and they said mine had been the last. Thor and Loki's presence had scared them off for good, fearing more would come to the village to protect the witches."

Everett walked around where my cabin used to be, a look of concentration on his face. "It looks like there was a fire here."

"There was." His eyes snapped up to look at me. "As I was speaking to my old neighbor, Clare came outside. She took one look at me and immediately knew who I was. 'No! You're supposed to be dead and in Hell! You truly are a witch!' She ran back inside to warn our parents. I....I snapped."

Tears came to my eyes as I remembered fully what I had done.

"I was so angry at them. I did everything I could to protect Clare, to be the perfect daughter. And they couldn't love me because I was a mutant. Yes, back then the word was witch. But they had to know I never would have hurt them. Not then. But instinct kicked in. I didn't know then I couldn't die and I refused to be put back on the table. So...I set the cabin on fire. The villagers began to panic and run over to try to stop the flames. Father Nikolas approached trying to keep everyone calm. I grabbed him by the throat as he ran by. 'Remember me?' 'The witch who escaped!' 'The very same. A shame you won't.'" I closed my eyes at the memory. "I was so angry, so full of rage and need for revenge. I tossed him into the cabin with my family."

Everett was at a loss for words. I could see he was seeing a whole new side of me, before I gained control of myself. Thor and Loki remained silent as I recounted every moment. Everett finally spoke. "Why didn't you burn him in the church where you were tortured?"

"I couldn't justify something like that. I had once been a very devout Christian. Would have done almost anything Father Nikolas asked if it meant seeing Heaven. Just because a member of the flock was corrupted by fear of the time, did not mean the building itself should be burned down. I had always hoped they would bring in someone better, to bring in true Christian love. Instead, the village was abandoned and it's completely my fault. I was wild and out of control. I knew nothing of patience and only wanted revenge. Don't get me wrong, though. I did go inside and destroy all the tools they used to torture me with."

Everett looked at me for a long time, no doubt seeing everything I had done when I had first returned here. It would hurt if I lost him over this, but I would completely understand. I had been a wild creature back then, no restraint at all. It wasn’t until I stopped aging at 35 that everything clicked for me: me no longer aging, no longer possible to die, what I was really meant to do with my time. But would that matter to Everett? Would 13 years of destructive behavior cancel out centuries of trying to help the planet and others? Would he only focus on how I cruely let my family die? I had to think he wouldn’t let that ruin everything we had built together, but you never truly know someone until they see your darkside. Logan and I found that out many years ago.

He ran a hand over his face and looked back down at where the cabin once was. I knew he would need time to process everything he learned during this trip, so I turned and walked back to the village. Passing by the church once more, I left the village in a different direction than we had arrived in. After 20 minutes I came across the farm where my friend had lived. It too had been abandoned, though I remember that happening shortly after the farmer’s daughter was killed. I walked over to where the farm house once stood. I sat down on a tree stump near by and cried out the rest of the pain that had remained.

Soon I could hear soft footsteps approaching me. From the familiarity I knew instantly who had come to join me. Hopefully it was to forgive me of my past.

”______? Can we talk?”

”Of course. You can always say whatever you want to me, Ev. You know that.” I looked up into his eyes, not sure on the emotions there. 

He sighed and the crouched in front of me. “I’m sorry for shutting down while you were opening up about your past. It wasn’t fair to you. I just didn’t know how to process it all.”

”I know, Ev. I’m not mad or upset. I was mostly worried you would be afraid of me now.”

”To be honest, I was at first. But then Thor and Loki began to explain how you changed over the years to become the person you are now. How that was the only time you took a life for your own revenge.” He reached over and took both of my hands. “I’m glad we did this, that we got this whole thing out in the open. Now hopefully you’ll be able to sleep at night.”

My voice cracked as I responded, unsure how he would answer. “As long as I still have you every night, I will.”

He pulled me in for a gentle kiss. “I will always be here for you. This will not scare me away.”

I rested my forehead against his, relieved that he was not leaving. “Then I believe a long over due vacation is in order.”

”He smiled widely at that. “Where did you have in mind?”

”Well, I do know of a nice place in Italy we can go to. Piotr is still watching the school and I’m sure we can get away with being gone another week.”

”Sounds perfect.”


	7. Dark Beginnings, Happy Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Everett take a long over due vacation in Europe. Reader thinks she'll final get a happy ending to her story.

"Are we ready to leave yet?" Everett was going around our hotel room, making sure we wouldn't forget anything.

"Not really, no. Maybe we can squeeze in another week?" Everett looked up from his suit case, but didn't say a word. "What? I'm just saying, it's very quiet and beautiful here on the Riviera. A nice change of pace from that chaotic school."

"You're stalling. I know you have been feeling restless ever since you took over for Charles, but you promised you would watch the school for at least 50 years before you turned nomad again."

"Why the hell did I promise that again?" After our trip through my past, Everett and I parted ways from Loki and Thor to spend a few days in the Italian Riviera. The change in location not only helped us relax after a stressful week, but it helped remind me why I was a nomad in the first place.

Everett continued to pack his suit case as I did mine. "Because Charles is practically your younger brother and you would do anything for him. Plus, it did save your ass as well as mine 5 years ago."

"Right. Shit." I sighed as I zipped my bag closed. "Well, at least we have one more stop before we head home."

"True. It will be interesting to see an Asgardian town."

"A shame it won't be on Asgard. That place was so amazingly beautiful."

"Odin let you in? After what he did?"

"When he found out I basically became the earth's equivalent of a goddess, he pretty much ate his words. Though not easily. But I mainly went to visit the boys and their mother, Frigga. She was always so welcoming." 

"Well we better get going or we'll miss our flight."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"______, need I remind you that Thor and Loki have a surprise planned for us?" Everett came over and pulled me close to him, our foreheads touching.

I sighed again. "Yeah, I know. Man, this living on other's people's time table is going to get old hella fast."

Everett laughed and we headed down to our rental car so we could head over to the nearest airport. As we flew in the air, I reflected on how right before I ran into Everett again six years ago when the whole mutant/human campaign took place I had wondered if it was possible for a person as damaged as I to have a happy ending to my story. I still wasn't 100% sure, but I felt this was pretty damn close.

Once in Norway, we rented another car and drove until the towns and villages melted away. Just as night approached, we could see the distant lights of the village the Asgardians founded when they came to Earth. We parked outside the village and walked over, passing many Asgardians along the way. The first one we came across that I knew was Lady Sif. It was so odd to see her without the Warriors Three and it broke my heart remembering the end they faced. After we hugged our greeting, she introduced me to Brunnhilde, a Valkyrie! It was so exciting to meet such a legendary warrior. She immediately began to fill my ears with stories of the past, starting with how she met Thor and Loki on Stakkar. 

As we walked further into the village, I noticed something odd. I was beginning to see Avengers scattered through out. Then I saw Logan! Needless to say that stopped me in my tracks. He walked over to us, followed closely by Charles.

"Logan, what's going on? Why are you guys here? Why are the Avengers?" I looked back and forth between the two men, waiting for a plausible answer.

"We were invited here by the giant Norse guy. Said something about a surprise he planned for you two." 

I looked over at Everett in confusion and for once he wouldn't look at me. "Everett, do you know something about this?"

He cleared his throat. "You know what, I better go see if Thor needs any help."

Before I knew what was happening, he ran off into the village with Lady Sif! I turned back to Logan and Charles. "Ok, what the actual fuck is going on?"

Tony came strolling over. "There's the girl of the evening! We were starting to wonder if you and Bilbo would ever show up."

"Stark, it is a bitch of a drive from the airport. And what do you mean 'girl of the evening'? What do you know?"

"Sorry, my dear. I'm not allowed to let the cat out of the bag. Just know we all made sure to clear our schedules just for this. Almost all of the X-Men are here as well as Shuri and King T'Challa. Now, I don't mean to be rude, but you are needed somewhere else." He nodded at Brunnhilde who began to pull me away.

"Hilde, what's going on? Where are we going?" I reluctantly followed her, unsure if I was strong enough to break her grip. And a bit curious as to why I was being dragged away.

She stopped outside a tent where more Asgardian women pulled me inside. "We need to get you changed! Tonight is a festival and you need a proper Asgardian dress!"

The women began to pull at my clothes to replace them with a deep, dark red dress that wrapped around my middle. My hair was curled to frame my face and my make-up redone. I was giving flat, golden sandals and gold arm bands to top off the look. Stepping back to admire their work, the women began to shower me with compliments. Then came a voice from outside the tent.

"Is she ready?"

"Yes, come on in." Hilde pulled back the tent flap so Everett could enter. 

My eyes grew wide as I saw he had been placed in Asgardian clothes similar to Thor's and Loki's, but without the armor. "Everett, you look amazing!"

"Thank you. So do you." He took my hands and everyone left the tent so we could talk.

"Look at us; we look like true Asgardian citizens." I let out a small laugh. "Now, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"In a moment, I promise. First I need to tell you something and if I don't get it out now, I don't know if I ever will." I simply nodded and squeezed his hands in reassurance. "_____, these past years have been amazing. My life has changed in a way that I never would have thought I wanted back when I joined the CIA. It fills me with joy seeing you help those kids back at the school and as much as you love to pretend to bitch about it, I know you secretly love every minute of it. I can't imagine my life any other way right now, and I know we're already together forever due to your mutation, but why not make it fully official. Will you marry me?"

He pulled out a box and opened it to reveal a dark ring without a gem. My mouth dropped in shock. "Everett....of course I will!"

We embraced and he placed the ring on me. I gave it a curious look and then lifted my eyes to his face. He chuckled at me. "It's a vibranium ring. Shuri helped design it so you could wear a ring but not worry about your powers destroying it."

I had to laugh at this. "Thank you, but my powers don't harm what I wear. Otherwise I would be naked every time I used lightning or fire."

"Now there's an image." We both laughed at that.

"But you know what? I absolutely love it! It's unique, just like us. It's perfect." I gave Everett a long kiss. "So is that why everyone's here? An engagement party? As much as I love seeing everyone, I figured something like that could wait until we returned."

"No, they're here for the wedding. Tonight is the Summer Solstice and Thor thought this would be the perfect night. So what do you say? Wanna get married tonight?"

I big grin broke across my face. "Let's do it!"

The ceremony was beautiful and it made me very happy to not only have all my old friends there but all my new Avenger ones. We danced and drank well into the night, Everett and I never losing sight of each other the entire time. I had never been happier and was really dreading heading back to work in a couple of days.

Years ago if I had thought of this night, I would have envisioned Logan at my side. The wedding in the woods somewhere in Canada or America. We would visit the school when it felt right, and wander all over the land. Now I was married to a former government agent and the headmaster of that school. So maybe every story doesn't have the typical happy ending. Maybe yours gets the one you need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the ending was cheestastic, but I felt it was necessary after all that angst and anger of the other chapters.
> 
> Going to take a break from this series again as I'm feeling a little dead on this story. I do want to tell how Reader met both Logan and Everett, but that will be at a later date. May start a new series in the mean time.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
